1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cutting pen used in a cutting apparatus reproducing the content of an image by cutting a sheet based on image information.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following description relates to a cutting apparatus using a cutting pen.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an entire cutting apparatus 10. In FIG. 1, image information from an image scanner 11, which reads a dot pattern on the pixcel basis, is supplied to a microcomputer 12 through a bus 13 under control of the microcomputer 12. This microcomputer 12 is provided with a central processing unit (CPU) 12A which executes a predetermined program, a read-only memory (ROM) 12B storing this program, and a random-access memory (RAM) 12C as a working memory containing various registers which are to be assigned in performing an arithmetic operation required for executing this program and as a memory in which image information from the above-described image scanner 11 is written. Then, by processing the image information written to this RAM 12C based on the above-mentioned program, the content of an image is cut from a sheet by means of a sheet cutter 14.
As shown by line cuts FIG. 2, this sheet cutter 14 cuts, in the content of the image by moving the sheet 25 back and forth by means of rollers which are attached to a platen 26 in the y-axis direction with respect to the sheet 25 and by simultaneously moving a cutting tool 27 right and left in the x-axis direction with respect to the sheet 25.
Then, a cutting pen 28 for line-cutting is attached to this cutting tool 27, and cutting pen 28 being used in a manner described above in the cutting apparatus 10.
On the other hand, the cutting pen 28 is configurated such that a bar-shaped cutter is supported and rotatably held around the axial line thereof, in a cylindrical holder so that the content of the image can be line-cut freely from the sheet 25. The following are known structures of this kind of holding configuration:
1. Configuration wherein the cylindrical holder is filled with grease, the bar-shaped cutter is inserted into this holder filled with grease and the bar-shaped cutter is held by adhesion of the grease; and
2. A configuration wherein movement of the bar-shaped cutter in the direction of the axial line is supported by a pivot bearing installed at the bottom part in the cylindrical holder, and an O-ring disposed in a manner fitted to the bar-shaped cutter between two miniature bearings fitted to the opening end in this cylindrical holder, and thereby holding the bar-shaped cutter is.
However, in attaching or detaching the bar-shaped cutter to or from the cylindrical holder due to a damage of the edge tip or the like, the former known structure has a problem in that the grease adheres to operator's hands and the cylindrical holder, resulting in a difficult in the attaching or detaching operation or a drop-off of the bar-shaped cutter during the use. Also, the latter known structure has a problem in that the diameter of the O-ring cannot be made large in order to prevent it from dropping off the bar-shaped cutter. Thus fitting or detaching the bar-shaped cutter to or from the O-ring is difficult, and further, this form of configuration requires a large number of parts, resulting in a higher cost.